Three Life-Saving Medical Technologies Named Finalists for the Inaugural Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 10, 2025--

Therapies that have transformed the treatment of cancer, atrial fibrillation, and life-threatening birth defects have been named finalists for the inaugural Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize (Fogarty Prize). This prestigious new recognition honors an innovator or team who has developed and successfully commercialized a life-changing medical technology. The finalists will be celebrated, and the winner announced, at a black-tie gala in San Francisco on October 24. The winning individual or team will receive an unrestricted $100,000 cash prize and a custom-cast bronze medal.

Named in honor of Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, a pioneering cardiovascular surgeon and icon in medical device innovation, and made possible through a foundational grant from the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, the Fogarty Prize celebrates individuals who have made a significant contribution to improving patient care through innovative technology.

“The Fogarty Prize celebrates the spirit of innovation and the drive to make a lasting difference in patients’ lives through bold medical technology breakthroughs,” said Mike Mussallem, co-founder of the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation. “The selection process went far beyond technical achievement to identify leaders whose integrity, vision, and relentless dedication to improving patient outcomes set them apart. We are proud to play a part in recognizing the next generation of innovators who are redefining what’s possible in medicine.”

“The Fogarty Prize not only honors Tom’s enduring legacy of asking ‘is there a better way?’ but also shines a spotlight on that journey from concept to commercialization, celebrating not just invention, but the years of dedication, resilience, and collaboration required to bring a breakthrough to patients at scale,” said Andrew Cleeland, CEO of Fogarty Innovation, the nonprofit organization administering the prize.

Innovation and Impact – The Three Finalists

• Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery: John Adler, MD
  Cancer patients worldwide have benefited from CyberKnife, the first frameless stereotactic radiosurgery system. The technology combines a lightweight linear accelerator with a robotic arm, enabling radiation to be delivered from hundreds of unique angles—even to tumors that move with breathing or are located in areas once considered untreatable. The system uses real-time imaging to dynamically track and adjust during treatment, maintaining precision and protecting surrounding healthy tissue. Unlike earlier radiosurgery approaches, CyberKnife is non-invasive, eliminating the need for head frames, sedation, or hospitalization.
  
  Approved by the FDA in 1999, CyberKnife redefined radiation therapy, helping millions of patients and influencing every modern system that has followed. Dr. Adler later advanced the technology further with ZapSurgical, which eliminated the need for expensive shielded vaults, expanding access for hospitals and clinics worldwide.
  

• FARAPULSEPulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System: Allan Zingeler; Raju Viswanathan, PhD; Michael Mahoney
  Atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, affects more than 10 million Americans and dramatically increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, and dementia. FARAPULSE is an advanced treatment for AFib that delivers precisely timed electrical pulses that selectively inactivate the problematic heart cells while leaving nearby critical structures like the esophagus, nerves, and blood vessels unharmed.
  
  Compared to traditional thermal ablation methods, pulsed field ablation increases procedural safety, speed, and ease of use, leading it to become one of the fastest adopted treatments in medical device history. FARAPULSE achieved CE Mark in 2021 and FDA approval in 2024. To date, nearly half a million patients worldwide have been treated.
  

• Fetal Surgery: Michael Harrison, MD
  Families facing life-threatening birth defects now have hope thanks to the pioneering field of fetal surgery. Conditions such as spina bifida, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome—which once meant stillbirth, disability, or early death—can now be treated before a child is even born, dramatically improving survival and long-term outcomes.
  
  This groundbreaking field was launched in the 1980s by Dr. Michael Harrison and his colleagues at UCSF, who developed delicate techniques ranging from minimally invasive fetoscopy guided by ultrasound to complex open surgeries. To enable these procedures, they also created specialized tools such as amniotic staplers and fetal monitors adapted from NASA technology. Today, more than 50 advanced fetal therapy centers across the U.S. perform thousands of procedures each year, and Dr. Harrison’s trainees and research continue to define the standard of care worldwide.
  

About Thomas J. Fogarty, MD

Tom Fogarty dedicated his career to improving medicine. His balloon embolectomy catheter, invented when he was still in medical school, revolutionized vascular surgery and launched an era of minimally invasive device innovation that has improved and saved the lives of millions of people. In addition to inventing a legion of surgical tools and devices, Fogarty also gifted the healthtech industry with a pragmatic approach to innovation that is a defining element of this prize:

“An idea by itself has no importance whatsoever. It’s the implementation of that idea and its acceptance by others that brings true benefit to our patients.” – Tom Fogarty, MD

About the Fogarty Prize

The Fogarty Prize recognizes a singular, clinically impactful technology. Recipients must be individuals (up to three per award); companies are not eligible. An independent selection committee reviews nominations and selects the annual award recipient. The Silicon Valley-based law firm Wilson Sonsini also contributed to the Fogarty Prize endowment.

The Fogarty Prize Gala will take place October 24 at The Conservatory at One Sansome, in San Francisco. To learn more, purchase tickets, or become a sponsor, visit www.fogartyinnovation.org/the-fogarty-prize/.

About Fogarty Innovation

Fogarty Innovation is a nonprofit educational medtech incubator dedicated to advancing human health worldwide. The organization’s seasoned leadership team provides “full-contact coaching” to help young companies navigate the path to commercialization, delivers practical educational programming to stakeholders across the ecosystem, and forges alliances that accelerate the invention, development, and deployment of new medical technologies into clinical care. Founded in 2007 by Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, Fogarty Innovation is headquartered on the El Camino Health campus in Mountain View, California. Learn more: www.fogartyinnovation.org.

About the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation

After decades of philanthropic commitments, Linda and Mike officially unveiled the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation in 2024. The Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation aims to harness the power of innovation and integrative health solutions to address complex health care challenges and create meaningful, long-lasting change for overlooked populations in need. Learn more at www.mussallemfoundation.org.

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PUB: 09/10/2025 10:05 AM/DISC: 09/10/2025 10:04 AM

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